Larijani elected as speaker of Iran's new parliament

Lawmakers have voted Ali Larijani as the speaker of Iran's new parliament following February elections. 
Larijani won the post on Sunday with 173 votes in a race against Mohammad Reza Aref who had been fielded by the Reformist camp. 
On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised Larijani for supporting Iran's nuclear pact and called for greater "interaction" between parliament and the government to "solve the problems and crises of the country," (PressTV) reported. 
The 290-member parliament was inaugurated Saturday in the presence of 265 members, with three seats vacant after votes for two MPs were nullified by Iran's constitutional oversight body, the Guardian Council, and a third member died in a car accident.

Source: QNA